The Friday after the Last Sunday after Trinity Sunday
Posted on November 29, 2024 by under
Scripture: Hebrews 12:22-29 (NKJV)
12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.
25 See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, 26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” 27 Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.
Devotion
We are to serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. This does not earn our place in His kingdom; it shows that we are part of His kingdom. We are His sons and daughters according to the grace and work that Christ Jesus accomplishes for and through us. Godly fear knows that His wrath comes down upon the rebellious and unfaithful, so as we fear, love, and trust in Him we pray that He keep us steadfast in the faith that is safe from such wrath.
It is silly to think that man can understand and manipulate the things of God. We did not create the earth or the things in it. We did not teach the generations before us, or establish the end of things to come after us. We can’t even control ourselves at all times! The command to fear and serve God is a good and gracious thing. We see from His Word and His good works that He takes care of man and desires a blessed end for us. Reverence to His will, and service according to His ways end up helping and loving others. Such work endeavors to bring them into the unshakeable safety of His Church. His wrath and His grace both show that He is above all. Thanks be to God that He saves us from His wrath by Christ’s blood and makes us loving servants by His power!
Collect: Absolve, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy people from their offences, that from the bonds of our sins which, by reason of our frailty, we have brought upon us, we may be delivered by Thy bountiful goodness; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
